Love starved

5

Sad birds still sing

Aradhya's life with Reyansh was a complex web of emotions. Despite the abuse and punishments, there were moments when she found herself inexplicably drawn to him. It was a confusing and painful reality, one that left her questioning her own feelings and sanity.

Reyansh could be charming and attentive, but also rude, manipulative and abusing. She clung to the belief that he will change someday

Aradhya's feelings were further complicated by the forced nature of their marriage. She had entered into it with little choice. She found herself caring for him, even when he hurt her, and it was a source of deep inner conflict.Maybe she was too kind?

Despite the abuse, Aradhya saw glimpses of vulnerability in Reyansh. She sensed that his anger was rooted in his own pain and insecurities. She wanted to help him, to heal him, and in doing so, she hoped to heal their relationship. It was a dangerous hope, one that kept her trapped in a cycle of abuse and reconciliation.

Aradhya's care for Reyansh was not simple or pure. It was tangled with fear, pain, and a desperate need for validation. She struggled to reconcile her feelings, knowing that loving him came at a great cost to her own well-being. Yet, she couldn't completely sever the emotional ties that bound her to him.

In her heart, Aradhya knew she deserved better. She knew that true love should not hurt, should not leave her feeling broken and afraid. But breaking free from Reyansh's hold was not easy. It required immense strength and courage, and she was still finding her way.

As the days passed, Aradhya continued to navigate the complexities of her emotions. She held onto the hope that one day she would find the clarity and strength to make the right choice for herself. Until then, she lived with the conflicting reality of loving a man who caused her so much pain.

This was all past,something inside her snapped now.

In the beginning,each insult and blow from reyansh felt like a dagger to her heart.

She would cry herself to sleep,her body and soul aching from the torment.

But as the abuse continued, something inside her began to change.

The tears came less frequently,and the emotional wounds started to scar over.

Aradhya's mind developed a defence mechanism to cope up with the trauma.

She began to detach herself from the reality,creating a mental situation to make her love the pain.

When reyansh yelled or struck her,she would retreat into a quiet place within herself,a place where his words and actions could not reach her.

Numbness was both blessing and a curse.it allowed aradhya to survive daily horror,but it also meant she was losing connections with her own emotions.

She no longer felt the sharp sting of Reyansh's abuse,but she also struggled to feel anything at all.
Joy,love,sadness-they all seemed distant and unreachable.

Aradhya's days became a monotonous routine of survival.she moved through life like a ghost, going through the motions without truly living.

The things that once brought her happiness-gardening, reading, singing -no longer held any meaning.she felt like a hollow shell, empty and devoid of life.

She knew this wasn't the life she was meant to live,and she longed for the day when she would break free from Reyansh's control.

But the numbness made it difficult to take in action.
It was easier to stay in familiar pain than to face unknown.
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Reyansh had always thrived on control, using his anger and dominance to keep Aradhya in a state of fear and submission. But over time, he began to notice a change in her. The spark of defiance that once flickered in her eyes had dimmed, replaced by a hollow, vacant stare. Aradhya no longer reacted to his outbursts with tears or pleas for mercy. Instead, she seemed distant, almost detached from the reality of her suffering.

One evening, after a particularly harsh tirade, Reyansh paused to observe Aradhya. She stood there, silent and still, her eyes fixed on a point far beyond him. There were no tears, no trembling-just an eerie calmness that unsettled him.

"Are you even listening to me?" Reyansh demanded, his voice rising in frustration. But Aradhya's expression remained unchanged, as if his words had no power over her anymore.

This unexpected reaction threw Reyansh off balance. He had always relied on her emotional responses to assert his control, but now, faced with her numbness, he felt a strange sense of unease. It was as if he was shouting into a void, his anger dissipating into nothingness.

In a desperate attempt to provoke a reaction, Reyansh grabbed Aradhya's arm and shook her. "Look at me when I'm talking to you!" he shouted, his grip tightening. But Aradhya's eyes remained distant, her body limp in his grasp.

For the first time, Reyansh felt a flicker of fear. He realized that his power over her was slipping away, that her numbness was a shield he couldn't penetrate. The realization left him feeling vulnerable and exposed, his usual confidence shaken.

Reyansh released her arm and took a step back, his mind racing. He had always believed that control was his strength, but now he was confronted with the possibility that he had pushed Aradhya too far. Her numbness was a silent rebellion, a refusal to be broken by his cruelty.

As Reyansh stood there, grappling with his emotions, Aradhya turned,bowed and walked away, her steps steady and unhurried. She had found a way to protect herself, to survive the storm of his abuse. And in that moment, Reyansh understood that he had lost something vital-her fear.